Brooke Henderson aims for even higher goals on LPGA tour

Now only one LPGA win away from being celebrated as the winningest professional golfer in Canadian history, the 21-year-old queen of Smiths Falls is enjoying a rare week away from the grind of the big-league tour.

Yet there she was back on a golf course Tuesday, the guest of honour at the Kevin Haime Kids to the Course Classic at Eagle Creek, doing her part to help inspire the next generation of young golfers.

“I’ve taken a couple of days off,” Henderson said, speaking with reporters during a break between clinics. “It has been really nice to be able to relax a little bit to build up some energy for the coming stretch. The U.S. Open is in two weeks and I’m trying to be at the top of my game for that, but doing events like this is really cool.

“It’s so awesome to be home. (Sister and caddy) Britt and I haven’t been home since about Christmas time, so to come back and see family and friends and be in Ottawa area is really special to us.”

Indeed, being on the course Tuesday was pretty much par for the course.

Canadian golfer Brooke Henderson warms up as she takes part in a clinic for juniors during a charity golf tournament in Dunrobin, Ont., west of Ottawa on Tuesday.Fred Chartrand /
THE CANADIAN PRESS

Before going through her tried-and-true practice routine in the early afternoon for a crowd of about 200 — many of them skipping school for the opportunity to catch a glimpse — she took questions.

After showing her stuff, including a series of 280-yard drives straight down the fairway, she signed autographs and smiled for pictures with the children on hand.

Candidly, she said she probably feels more pressure under the spotlight of similar clinics than she does while standing on the tee, trying to win million-dollar tour events.

To date, Henderson has won eight titles — including the Lotte Championship in Hawaii in April — tying her with Sandra Post for the most by a Canadian on the LPGA tour. Fellow Canucks Mike Weir and George Knudson also won eight times on the PGA circuit.

Away from the course, Henderson remains humble and unassuming. But with a driver in her hand, the fit 5-foot-6 phenom is all consuming.

“Winning is fun, I love it,” she said. “Hopefully, I can just keep it going. I’ve won twice on the LPGA Tour every year since 2016, so that’s been really exciting. I’m very proud of that stat and I would like to keep that going this year with another win.”

In addition to her victory in Hawaii, she has four other top-10 finishes in 2019. Henderson ranks fifth on the money list with $526,860 in earnings this season. She has made $5.33 million during her career and currently ranks eighth in the world rankings.

For all that, the drive to rise higher continues.

“Every day, it’s a process,” she said. “I’m just trying to get a little bit better as a person and also as a golfer.

“With my coach (father, Dave) and my sister, who is with me all the time, I’m just trying to clean some stuff up and just be a little more consistent and I think good things will happen.”

Brooke Henderson talks to young fan Hailey Hewson at the Kevin Haime Kids to the Course Classic at the Eagle Creek Golf Club in Dunrobin on Tuesday.Tony Caldwell /
Postmedia

While Henderson is already in lofty, elite company, she firmly believes she has the talent and supporting cast to keep winning consistently. Her average of only 69.81 strokes per round ranks fourth overall.

“It’s fun for me to have these goals, to realize that they are realistic goals and that’s what makes it really special,” she said. “For me, scoring average is really important and keeping it under 70 is important.”

After kicking back in the Ottawa area this week — she acknowledges surprising some old friends by showing up unannounced at some of her former haunts in Smiths Falls — the life of a tour pro resumes next week in Williamsburg, Va.

Then comes a trek south to Charleston, S.C., and the U.S. Open — one of the celebrated majors on the calendar — followed by tournaments in New Jersey, Michigan, Minnesota, Arkansas and Ohio.

Seeing the world through the golf courses of the world can be a whirlwind.

Is it a grind?

“It can be,” Henderson said. “It’s hard work, but it’s also my dream to be out there. Britt and I have so much fun travelling the world together, seeing new things and playing these events.

“Just saying I’m playing in the U.S. Women’s Open is really cool and then to know I have a chance to win it, potentially, makes it even better. That brings a smile to my face, because as a little girl that’s really what I dreamed of.”